Holmia is a community located in the Potaro-Siparuni region of Guyana. The major industries in the region are forestry, gold and diamond mining, and of course, tourism. The region takes its name from the Potaro and Siparuni rivers, which are tributaries of the Essequibo, the country’s longest river. The Potaro River is a major draw for eco-tourists as nine waterfalls can be found along its length, including the celebrated Kaieteur Falls, recognized worldwide as one of the most powerful waterfalls, due to the combination of its height of 251 meters and great volume of 663 cubic meters a second. Looking upriver, tourists can enjoy the spectacular sight of the Pakairama Mountains, which share a common border with Brazil and Venezuela.
The Kaieteur Falls is located within the Kaieteur National Park, where tourists can take nature hikes and luxuriate in the wide species of indigenous flora and fauna that can be found in the park. The more adventurous can also try walking across the Garraway Stream Bridge, a suspension bridge built in the 1930s which spans the river and then visiting the ‘two islands’ which can be found on the River. The small community of Menzies Landing, which is around 20 miles upriver from the Kaieteur Falls, is the gateway and staging area for travel to places up the river.
Holmia is relatively accessible despite the remoteness of the area, since there are now frequent flights between the airstrip of Kaieteur Falls and the Cheddi Jagan International Airport and the Ogle Airport in Guyana’s capital city of Georgetown.